By Alex Dalland
Milan Design Week, also known as the Salone del Mobile Milano, is the design event that sets trends across the world. With the exhibition already attracting enormous attention on social media, we look at five of the most stunning pieces from this year’s design week to light up our Instagram
1. This new Tama Living sofa from Walter Knoll
The Tama Living sofa opts for a sleek low-profile setting, and was designed by EOOS to mimic “a piece of classical music” in furniture form. The sofa is sold upholstered in leather or fabric with saddle leather side tables which double as arm rests, as well as a practical tray which fits into the sofa itself. Milan Design Week is often known for its ultra avant-garde statement pieces, but this fabulous sofa is just one example of a debut piece that fits just as well into the Salone as it would in your own home.
2. The brilliant “Floating on water” installation from Hermes home
Hermes are known for making a splash at Milan Design Week, and 2017 is proving to be no exception – literally! Once again, the brand’s iconic “Collections for the Home” debuts its new range at the Salone, showcasing a clean-cut cast bronze coffee table by British design studio Barber Osgerby. The collection’s suspension in water helps to embody to the weightless aesthetic of the table.
3. A “brutalist” marble grandfather clock from Lee Broom
Already taking design circles by storm around the world, British designer Lee Broom’s celebration of 10 years in the business is the striking ‘Time Machine’ grandfather clock, hand-crafted from a single piece of Carrara marble. Broom himself has said that the style of the clock, remeniscent of ‘brutalist’ architecture, is meant to contradict the traditionalist associations normally held with grandfather clocks. As well as exhibiting the ‘Time Machine’ at Milan Design Week, he is also selling the pieces in a limited run of 10 – one for every year he has been designing.
4. This sphere of greenery from the IKEA festival
Home giant IKEA has hit Milan this year with a bang, creating its own festival (IKEA Festival – Let’s Make Room For Life) to run alongside Milan Design Week. As well as unveiling some new designs, conceptual room layouts and curated interiors from the IKEA Livet Hemma blog, the festival also hosts some more unusual art installations and even sculptures made from IKEA furniture.
5. Pedro Franco’s “Underconstruction” sofa
A veteran of Milan Design Week – having participated for the past 10 years – Franco is known for his unique chair designs and has almost become the face of Brazilian design, with one media outlet dubbing him “The ambassador of Brazilian design” (Platinum Magazine, 2015). Franco’s latest collections, such as the pictured “Underconstruction” sofa, examine introducing the handmade into the industrial process, with newer works combining elements of both traditional furniture making and the manufacturing process. This particular sofa was originally shown at the 2009 Satellite Hall as part of the design week, however it has made a comeback at the 2017 Milan Design Week as part of the “A Lot of Brasil” stand.
For more information on Milan Design Week, visit the Salone del Mobile Milano website
